America’s First Television Pioneer…Charles Jenkins

On January 7, 2014 - TV History

America’s First Television Pioneer…Charles Jenkins

Below is a photo of Charles Francis Jenkins directing “Shadowgraph” mechanical television November 6, 1929 at W3XK located in Washington DC and later, Wheaton Maryland. According to research from friend of mine, Dr. Horace Newcomb, (who until last year was head of the Peabody Awards committee at The University of Georgia), W3XK was the first experimental television license granted in the US by the Federal Radio Commission and transmission began July 2, 1928. But…on June 13, 1925, Jenkins had provided America’s first public demonstration of television. Now, all this was mechanical television and not electronic like Farnsworth was working on, but none the less…it was television. Charles Jenkins name is almost forgotten, but he was a major inventor and among his accomplishments was the co creation of the first practical motion picture projector in 1894, the founding of The Society Of Motion Picture Engineers (now SMPTE), the invention of the first commercial paper cup, electric starters for cars, altimeters and brake systems for aircraft and much more as he was the holder of over 400 patents. Jenkins was also involved in the first early wireless transmission of photos and teletype messages. Gone but not forgotten. By the way, did you notice the the camera operator is a woman? Another first?


Source

5 Comments

  1. Michael Scott Ferguson January 7, 2014

    Jenkins used 48 lines @ 15 fps according to “The Mechanics of Television.” His system used a variation of the Nipkow disc called the prismatic ring. J.L. Baird’s system was 30 lines, and could transmit halftones. UK hams and experimenters have revived Baird’s mechanical TV system, which can be transmitted via shortwave. http://www.nbtv.org/ There are some demos on YouTube which are remarkably clear, given the low resolution.

  2. Paul Lewis January 7, 2014

    Was his mechanical tv 40 lines of resolution like John Logie Bairds? =:)

  3. Albert J. McGilvray January 7, 2014

    Jenkins also had a NYC studio, to show television to Wall Street investors. On May 1, 1931, the station’s chief engineer and secretary were married on America’s first televised wedding.

  4. Albert J. McGilvray January 7, 2014

    1519 Connecticut Avenue NW (Dupont Circle) in washington, D. C. was the site of W3XK’s studio. There is an art gallery there now (Gallery Ten) which honors Mr. Jenkins every year in July.

  5. Paul Lewis January 7, 2014

    Cool! =:)